Blog Archives

Making Choices

11/24/2013

I am very interested today in talking about this issue.

"The Baby Book" was written because of my need to share good information with as many people as I can. There are thousands of people who have monkeys living I their homes and thousands who are thinking about getting one.

When Silly Willy came into my life, it was a time of incredible change. There was not only hurt and loss in my private life but there were also many changes happening in living in our world with primates. So many rules and regulations were changing then and are still changing in our country about having monkeys as pets.

****Because of these many changes that were happening in the world of primates, it was necessary to really get clear with myself about how I would handle and raise my precious little boy monkey.

I believe in educating everyone about primates and that is how I have spent (soon to be 25 years) of my life. The book series is here to help you interested caregivers make the best possible choices for your life and the life of your monkeys, who will be living out their lives in captivity.

In the first “The Living With Monkeys” book, “The Baby Book,” we have a chapter about leads and leashes. Throughout the book I am repeatedly speaking about safety, early programming, and giving you truthful information about many things that a monkey caregiver can (and will) be confronted with.

****When a baby monkey comes to you it will be so easy to carry around with you and take many places.
    People will say so many types of things to you as you are doing this. Some good of course and some not so good. The thing that I wish most for people to see and try to understand is the emotional connection that I have with my monkeys, and for them to walk away from their knowing that it is a big responsibility to care for a monkey, in many cases for more than 40 years.

****When I am doing what I do with people and my monkeys, it is my first responsibility to be alert and interested in their safety and well-being.
    The type of leads and leashes that I use is clearly reflects my choice to feel safe and secure with them out in public. Recently I have been looking at some new things to do this with. It is so much fun to learn new things and to network with other monkey people so that I can see how they are choosing to do things differently. I believe in makings changes with these wonderful primates.

****(SPECIAL NOTE) Thanks goes out to so many of my new monkey caregiver friends. You also are the reason that I have moved forward with this new series of books. We as a group know how important our choices can be for our beloved monks.

****A waist type of tether is great during the first part of a monkeys life, but when they grow in size and emotional maturity it is again time to make choices about their safety.
    We are working on a new type of neck/waist tether that is comfortable, safe, washes and dries easily and can be removed easily from either the neck or the waist.

(Question Time) When and where can I purchase this incredible type of tether?
    Well, remember I am about educating monkey caregivers. You must first learn more about your choices concerning the waist or neck tether before you can move forward in your selection of new safety devices that we are working on.

    Please choose to order this first book in the series even if your monkey is not a baby anymore. This book is the foundation book for the entire series.

****Don't worry we will keep you posted on our new line of (tried and tested) waist and neck tethers.

    ****The monks will first be giving us their final thumbs up or thumbs down choice on them. It's just the way it has to be in my life because I live with monkeys.****

(IMPORTANT NOTE) Taking a monkey out in public or outside of your home has a big risk factor to it and comes with a very big responsibility. ((This is a red letter issue.)

Go to: www.livingwithmonkeys and give yourself a gift this “Holiday Season” order your quick and easy down-loadable copy of “Living With Monkeys” The Baby Book. It is full of monkey stories, information, and some new ways and ideas about living with a monkey in your world.

Are You In A Rut?

11/17/2013

Hi everyone. It's time to write another blog for “Living With Monkeys.” So are you in a rut with your life, your meals, your schedule of doing things?

Are you in a rut with your monkey?

I am having a wonderful week with another monkey lady friend. She is experiencing watching her monkey embracing a total change in his lifestyle and ways of doing things. This is his 6th or 7th trip to visit us and he is allowing himself to enjoy his lifestyle here as he is coming out of his rut for just a few days.   He is having a vacation too. When he returns home he will be refreshed and ready to embrace his own familiar world, once again.

****When we choose to do things with our monkeys the same way day after day, we of course, fall into ruts.
       Change is wonderful not only for us but for our monks too. I have always been capable of making lots of changes in my life due to my lifestyle and business.
       When we make changes this allows our monkeys to stretch their worlds. By doing this they often experience that all important thing called environmental enrichment. The USDA inspector who comes to my house often speaks with me about the new things I am doing with my monkeys and reads my environmental enrichment program as part of her routine inspections.
         So, take a look from a higher perception and look up over your life with your monkey. If you see that you have made some very big ruts in their daily routines, then choose to make a change or two, or even three. Stretch a little in your own life and your monkey's life often.

****(Special Note) Remember This: If you have a problem with your monkey's behavior and you are continuing to do the same things over an over again with the same results happening, then remember to make a change. Change can solve many monkey behavior problems too. Start a new way of doing things often when you are sharing your life with a monkey. It is good for the heart and soul of you both.

Read more about making changes in our book. Visit us at: www.livingwithmonkeys.com to get your down-loadable copy.

Playing With A Baby Monkey

11/10/2013

I spent some time last night watching many people with their baby monkeys on YouTube. In the “Living With Monkeys” book you will understand why I strongly suggest not to play with a baby monkey, so I thought it would be important to give you some insights into why I suggest this in the book.

(Question Time) What do you mean Mary Lynn? Why should you not play with a baby monkey? Is it not true that all dogs, cats, and children learn things through playing?

So many of the baby monkeys who were on YouTube were being played with and almost all of them were playing back using their mouths on their owners hands. It may seem like fun for everyone who comes in contact with your baby monkey to do, but it is programming the baby monkey that it is okay to put their mouth and teeth on people even if it is only play-bites.

****A baby monkey needs to know from day one that it is never okay to put their mouth on anyone's hands or other parts of a person's body. It is natural for this to take place with a monkey but it is not the type of programming a monkey caregiver should ever allow with a baby monkey.

An over-stimulating play-time can get out of control with a single housed monkey just as easily as it can between a troupe of monks. The last thing that any of us want to have happen during, a play-time, is for it to turn into a biting-time.

(Special Note) Show them how to play with a toy for a short time while saying the name of the toy several times and then allow them time to entertain themselves with it in their own way. When you play with the baby monkeys with their toys, then they will begin to look to you for their play stimulation. We all wish for monkeys who live in captivity to be happy in their own worlds with or without us. I love to see mine playing and being happy with their toys at any time.

Monkeys are not like a dog, a cat, or even a human child. They are monkeys who are very emotional little creatures with many different ways of processing what they are seeing. They must always be taught good manners and gentle loving things. They will naturally add their own special way of playing if we allow them time to do this.

Remember to balance their play-time with love-time in their early programming. This will serve you and your baby monkey greatly. Using these two types of times with a baby monkey will build both types of behaviors into their worlds. Over-stimulating them as you are playing with them can get out of hand very quickly. Being able to switch them into love-time is a much easier way to change their over-stimulated energy than by putting them into time out. If you give as much energy into love-time as you do play-time with a baby monkey, I assure you will be happy with your monkey's behaviors during the coming years.

Go to www.livingwithmonkeys.com to get your down-loadable copy of “The Baby Book.”

Monkey Shampoo

11/3/2013

Yesterday was such a fun day for us here at SunShine MonkeyShines. We traveled a distance away so we could celebrate Eli's birthday. We had a wonderful audience, great fun, good food and of course, a beautiful drive during our leaf changing time.

I am constantly making changes for my troupe to make life more exciting for all of them. They are just like us and benefit from lots of change, so one of the changes that I made several weeks ago was to help Sissy get over her extreem dislike of baths. I moved her into my kitchen area for a change.

She came to me as a troupe monkey and had always shown me that she wished to be with the other “Teenage” monkeys. So just one day out of the blue I decided to give her a big change for awhile and moved her into my kitchen troupe of “Toddlers.”

One of the best things that has happened is she has been getting so many more baths due to her being just a few steps away from the sink.

During the show yesterday I noticed how soft and silky Sissy's coat looked and felt as I was putting her diaper on so she could visit with the birthday guest. I am so glad that I made this change for her because now she is starting to like her baths so much better and is finally starting to benefit from the wonderful shampoo that I am using.

For years I have been using baby shampoo to wash the monkey with but because of the advice of my good friend, who did the research about monkey's ph being different from ours, I now have the greatest “Monkey Shampoo.” The name of this natural shampoo is in the book. The monkeys like knowing that it will not burn or sting their eyes and that it even taste okay too!

There is an entire chapter about bath-time in the book “Living With Monkeys.” Go to: www.livingwithmokeys.com and get your downloadable copy quick and easy.

Making Choices

Are You In A Rut?

Playing With A Baby Monkey

Monkey Shampoo

Mary Lynn's Blog

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